I love romantic comedies and TV shows like Gossip Girl, Friends and Grey's Anatomy. However, I have one major problem with all of these shows, books or movies and the #relationshipgoals they promote. They give us, woman especially, unrealistic expectations. There is always the bad boy that doesn't want to change, but somehow the pretty girl helps him, or the totally inappropriate work relationship that somehow doesn't get in the way or the two people who just can't seem to get it right but somehow work through their differences and end up in a perfectly happy relationship.
Gossip Girl is one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures and although I may totally support Chuck and Blair, their relationship could never actually make it in the real world. Chuck Bass is a manipulative, bad boy who struggles with relating to people, especially of the opposite sex, who somehow through the power of Blair's love changes just to be with her. Honestly, I hate to break it you but the odds of a power hungry, self-made billionaire, drug addict changing himself just be with you are very low. I'm not saying that it can happen, it totally can but he has to be willing to change to. A guy is not just going to change his whole personality just through because of your love. Chuck is a playboy who trades Blair for a hotel, they are never together for more than 5 episodes, and all he has to do is perform some grand gesture to win her back. They're horrible to each other, but we are still rooting for them the whole time.
Meredith and Derek on Grey's Anatomy start their relationship in a totally inappropriate fashion. Derek is married to Addison and pursues Meredith anyways and again we are cheering this poor behavior on. Again no matter how much I support Meredith and Derek there is no way on God's green earth that this unhealthy foundation would create the perfect relationship that Derek and Meredith have.
Pretty Woman is another prime example of media taking unhealthy relationship and spinning it into a happy love story. Basically this movie says if you become a prostitute you will meet a nice man who will fall in love with you. The movie glorifies prostitution and women selling themselves to get a guy, but again we see this as #relationshipgoals.
Young adults watching these tv shows, reading these books or watching romantic movies get unrealistic expectations of what is right in a relationship. A cheater is probably going to cheat again. A boy isn't going to change himself just to be with you and you shouldn't expect him to; you know what you were getting yourself into.
